Hundreds rally for Nathan Bedford Forrest statue - WMC Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

Monday is Nathan Bedford Forrest Day in Tennessee, as prescribed by state law.

On Sunday, hundreds of Forrest supporters filled Health Sciences Park as a part of an annual commemoration and to rally support for keeping the statue in place after the city council voted to remove the statue and the graves of Forrest and his wife.

Sunday's event included Civil War re-enactors. Many brought Confederate flags.

"We're here to show support to leave the statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest in the park," Robert Rubel of the Sons of Confederate Veterans said.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans joined other supporters for the 112th birthday celebration for General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

African-American historian Ron Sydnor was the keynote speaker at the event. He is among those who claim Forrest changed his ways years after leading the Ku Klux Klan.

"There's a lot of history that has been lost, and it's important that a true history is taught," Sydnor said.

For a timeline of events concerning Confederate symbols in the Mid-South, click here.

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